বাঁকুড়ার ঘোড়া (Bankura Ghora)
The Bankura horse is Bengal's most iconic folk terracotta form: a stylized votive horse with elongated neck, cylindrical body, and flared ears — a form of absolute geometric clarity that has become one of India's most recognized design symbols. Made in Panchmura village (Bankura district) by the Kumbhakar (potter) community, the horses range from palm-sized to monumental (over 2 meters). They are originally votive objects offered to the deity Dharmaraj or placed at village shrines to fulfill ritual vows — not primarily decorative objects. The form has been extensively reproduced commercially and co-opted as a design motif, but the authentic hand-built tradition in Panchmura, with its specific clay body and open-fire terracotta technique, remains a distinct and endangered practice.
Risk level: Endangered · Not inscribed; GI registered
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